Overwatch does this a lot. Due to the focus on the large cast of characters from all different backgrounds, morality, personalities, and abilities, this was bound to happen.
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Characters
Torbjörn & Symmetra
Torbjörn is a veteran craftsman who uses raw labor and scrap parts to build his turrets and defenses. Symmetra uses high-tech Hard Light technology and more artful design to make hers. He makes one beloved turret that sits on the ground, she makes a lot of tiny disposable ones that go on any surface. His buff is armor, hers is shields. He is a professional engineer with regrets about his past, she's a corporate-trained engineer who moonlights as a spy and tries to convince herself she's the good guy. She's autistic, struggles with her feelings, and has no real friends or loved ones, while Torb is fairly warm, with a large family and close friends in his old Overwatch colleagues. Her graceful, dancing movement contrasts with his more direct, pragmatic motion. Also, Torbjorn is literally old enough to be her father; his daughter Brigitte is only a few years younger than Symmetra, and has her own set of contrasting traits.
Torbjörn & Reinhardt
Torbjörn is a Gadgeteer Genius with diminutive size and a surly disposition. Reinhardt is a Boisterous Bruiser who's as tall as he is tough. The two of them even make fun at each other for these very traits, with Reinhardt wondering if Torb's height is what makes him cranky and Torb accusing Reinhardt of being just Dumb Muscle. In the "We are Overwatch" trailer, Reinhardt is shown defending a helpless Omnic in King's Row while Torbjörn says King's Row is his ideal place and scoffs at the idea of Omnic rights. And finally, both use hammers as melee weapons (that used to do the exact same damage despite being a warhammer and a smithing hammer respectively. They still do roughly the same damage per second)note .
Mercy & Reinhardt
Mercy is a pacifist and one of Overwatch's biggest critics because of its violent means and militaristic approach. Reinhardt is a Blood Knight who lives to fight and put his heart and soul into making Overwatch the best it could be. Reinhardt is very pleased that Overwatch has been reformed, while Mercy is a lot more critical. Both still manage to be two of the purest good guys in the story.
Widowmaker & Tracer
Almost point for point, they inversely reflect one another. Of their respective organizations, both are their most visible female representatives, both are regarded as among their most effective agents, and both had previous careers that were cut short by disasters that granted them their current abilities (Widowmaker was neurally reconditioned into an assassin from a civilian, and Tracer was rescued from a military flight test gone wrong that conferred time manipulation abilities onto her). However, Tracer joined Overwatch willingly and enthusiastically. Widowmaker "joined" Talon without her own consent. Tracer persevered through hardship to remain cheerful and kind, celebrates peace and life, and is a firm believer in the power of heroism. Widowmaker was conditioned to be cold and bloodthirsty, celebrates death, and takes joy in the pain and suffering of others. In terms of where they've both arrived as individuals, Widowmaker is who she is because of what has happened to her, but Tracer is who she is despite what has happened to her. Put them on the same team, and their dispositions will even alternate: Widowmaker can find it amusing while Tracer does not, or Tracer could have some fun with teasing Widowmaker to the latter's annoyance. Tracer leaps directly into the fray with a pair of light, rapid-fire pistols, and her abilities grant her a great degree of speed and maneuverability. Widowmaker distances herself away from the fight to line up clear shots with a bulky sniper rifle, only moving when necessary to get herself to a better vantage point. Tracer loves to have fun and mess with her opponents. Widowmaker is quiet and frighteningly pragmatic. Tracer is upbeat and almost all smiles. Widowmaker is stoic and almost never smiles. Widowmaker was formerly a civilian named Amélie married to an Overwatch agent whom she tragically killed as part of her "initiation" into Talon. Tracer is herself an Overwatch agent who is currently involved in a happy, stable relationship with a civilian named Emily. Design-wise, Tracer is a fair-skinned Tomboy with freckles, has short spiky hair, and wears a bomber jacket over what appears to be vibrantly colorful jogger's apparel. Widowmaker is a Femme Fatale with a ghoulish blue pallor, a long smooth ponytail, and wears a dark, form-fitting catsuit. Even thematically, Tracer is usually represented with yellow while Widowmaker is usually represented with purple, which are complementary opposites under the traditional RYB color model. Oh, and both designs and character themes draw attention to their long legs.
Widowmaker & Ana
Widowmaker is a cold-blooded sniper who enjoys the thrill of killing. Ana is also a sniper, but takes the burden of those she's killed very seriously. Their characters are themed around being a predator and a mother, respectively. Even their clothes contrast; Ana wears a loose, battered cloak that covers her tactical outfit (and armor), while Widowmaker wears a Spy Catsuit with a Navel-Deep Neckline. They both wield wrist mounted tools, but Widowmaker's deploys a mine which poisons enemies while Ana's shoots a linear projectile which powers up teammates.
Widowmaker & Sombra
Both are Talon operatives that are clearly defined as Dark Action Girls, both have non-damaging ultimates that aid their teammates and both wear purple, but their similarities end there. Widowmaker is detached and feels little outside the joy of killing, is a loyal minion to Talon, and was forced into her current persona. Sombra takes everything less seriously and treats it as a game, uses Talon as a means to further her own goals, and joined the organization willingly. Even their gameplay is in contrast to each other. Widowmaker is Defensive, who engages targets at a distance and requires precision to be effective, while Sombra is Offensive, and favors attacking her enemies up-close-and-personal with a 'spray-and-pray' weapon.
Pharah & Ana
Pharah is a foil for her mother Ana both in weaponry and personality. Ana uses a precise sniper rifle while Pharah blows things up with explosive rockets. Ana hated the life of a sniper and suffered from post-traumatic stress over all the lives she took...a fate she wanted her daughter to avoid at all costs. Pharah went against her wishes and became a soldier. In her comic, Pharah also states that while walking into the unknown was the part her mother always hated about battle, Pharah say it's the part she most loves.
Pharah & Reinhardt
The traits she emulated from him (seeing justice done as its own reward) has made her see joining Overwatch as dream come true. She's rather serious and a consummate soldier while Reinhardt looks like he's having the time of his life and behaves more like a noble knight of old. While the two also use rocket-powered armor, he is a close-range melee combatant with a shield to protect himself and others. She is pure Flying Firepower that rains down death (and justice) from above.
Symmetra & Lúcio
They both come from impoverished backgrounds and get their powers from the Vishkar Corporation and incorporate dance into their styles, but while Symmetra was chosen as a hard light engineer for their shining city of tomorrow and was sent on clandestine missions, Lúcio started out as an underground DJ who stole Vishkar sonic tech after they got a redevelopment contract that resulted in them oppressing the populace. After using it to rally the people, they drove Vishkar out. This catapulted him into fame and the international spotlight. He seeks to use his fame and tech to do good, while Symmetra is more conflicted about her work for the corporation. To a lesser extent, their personalities as well: Symmetra is serious and focused, whereas Lúcio is easygoing and relaxed. One uses light, the other sound.
Reaper & Soldier: 76
Nihilistic Blood Knight versus formerly-idealistic Knight in Sour Armor who still believes in a cause. Soldier: 76 is a veteran soldier who, despite losing everything he cared about, still remains a Knight in Sour Armor and fights for justice. Reaper lost just as much, if not more, and delights in causing pain, death and suffering. In gameplay terms, 76's main weapon is a rifle that encourages the player to fire from medium range in accurate bursts, while Reaper uses inaccurate, rapid, shotgun blasts; Reaper's movement abilities allow him to quickly escape, while 76's is more useful for running back to the fight; 76's healing ability can be used to stop and heal the whole team at once, while Reaper's only heals him as he attacks the enemy team. Reaper's ult is a Spam Attack that annihilates every enemy around him, while 76's simply enhances the accuracy of his rifle.
Also, when Reaper served in the American military's super soldier program, his assigned number was 24, which can be considered the "opposite" of 76 because they add up to 100.
Also, when Reaper served in the American military's super soldier program, his assigned number was 24, which can be considered the "opposite" of 76 because they add up to 100.
Reaper & McCree
McCree went from infamous criminal and arms dealer to a noble (albeit cynical) hero after being recruited by Overwatch, while Reaper was an Overwatch member who turned to villainy after personal issues with playing second fiddle to his friend Jack Morrison (who became Soldier: 76) led to him leaving Overwatch and then hunting down former Overwatch agents after the organization's fall into disgrace. It's implied Reaper destroyed Overwatch just to spite Jack. In addition, both have a Western theme going on; McCree's design is a Shout-Out to The Man With No Name, while two of Reaper's alternate skins "El Blanco" and "Mariachi" would make him fit right in a Spaghetti Western as a Big Bad.
They are also foils when it comes to guns. Both guns fire at a rate of 2 shots per sec with a 1.5 sec reload, but Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns are close ranged and rely more on positioning than aiming, while McCree's Peacekeeper is mid ranged and relies more on aim than positioning. Additionally, both of their weapons are strong against tanks, but the Peacekeeper requires headshots to truly be effective against them. Aside from stats, McCree takes good care of his gun, while Reaper throws his guns away after expending their ammo.
They are also foils when it comes to guns. Both guns fire at a rate of 2 shots per sec with a 1.5 sec reload, but Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns are close ranged and rely more on positioning than aiming, while McCree's Peacekeeper is mid ranged and relies more on aim than positioning. Additionally, both of their weapons are strong against tanks, but the Peacekeeper requires headshots to truly be effective against them. Aside from stats, McCree takes good care of his gun, while Reaper throws his guns away after expending their ammo.
Reaper & Winston
The two are arch enemies and they could not be more different from each other. The former is The Dreaded to Winston's Hope Bringer. Reaper was a founder of Overwatch, and the original leader, before having the position of Strike Commander passed up, which led to his descent into evil. Winston watched Overwatch's rise from afar, and joined as soon as he was able, before eventually becoming the leader himself. Reaper caused the destruction of Overwatch, Winston was the one who revived it. Reaper delights in causing death and destruction to the innocent, while Winston wishes to protect those from harm. Reaper is a human who employs Fantastic Racism against Omnics and non-humans, Winston is a gorilla who loves everyone regardless of what they are. In-game, Reaper is an Offense character who specializes in destroying Tanks with upfront damage, while Winston is a Tank who specializes in taking out "squishies" with chip damage.
Junkrat & Roadhog
They are partners-in-crime, and their personalities are radically different. Junkrat is Laughing Mad, silly, and expressive (and reveals a Faux Affably Evil side when omnics are about) while Roadhog is much quieter, sinister, and has little expressiveness because of his mask (and has a less outright brutal side, if sprays showing him cuddling pigs are anything to go by). Both have weapons with high damage but small clips and long reload times, but Roadhog uses a Short-Range Shotgun while Junkrat uses grenades that (until it was patched out) could damage him at close range. Roadhog is a slow moving juggernaut who drags enemies towards him, while Junkrat more mobile, and his skills are more about trapping incoming enemies before they get near and area denial.
Roadhog & All of the other Tanks
D.Va, Orisa, Reinhardt, Winston, and Zarya all devote themselves to protecting the innocent, while Roadhog is a mass murderer who only cares about himself as he goes on a worldwide crime spree. The other Tanks all use highly advanced equipment and weapons to give them protection and power, while Roadhog has no armor and his equipment consists of a scrap gun, a chain hook, and drugs. In-game, all the other Tanks can deploy shields and are meant to be used to protect their allies, while Roadhog has no form of shields that can be deployed, instead having an ability that heals himself, and is best used when picking off enemies as a flanker.
Mei & Junkrat
Mei is ice-themed and has a cool color scheme, Junkrat has fire-based designs like his hair. Mei wears warm winter clothing, while Junkrat goes shirtless. Mei is polite and celebrates peace, Junkrat is destructive and vulgar. They're both cheerful, but Junkrat's violent criminal behavior brings out a very hostile side from Mei that we don't see anywhere else.
Zenyatta & Zarya
Zarya is a tough, hot-blooded competitor who is staunchly loyal to her country and prejudiced against Omnics to the point that she openly boasts about how many she's killed. Zenyatta is a peaceful and meditative teacher that left his monastery when their ideals diverged (but still loves them just the same). Zenyatta was also a follower of his brother Mondatta, who was a prominent advocate for peaceful Human-Omnic coexistence. This is best highlighted in how they each treat Genji, who is half-man, half-machine. Zarya distrusts Genji because of his machine half while Zenyatta mentored Genji on accepting both sides of himself, and affectionately considers him one of his brightest pupils.
D.Va & Soldier: 76
A voice line demonstrates that D.Va is a foil to Soldier: 76. Soldier, of course, is a Grumpy Old Man who is flatly serious about everything while D.Va is the youngest human member of the cast and treats everything with levity and humor like it's part of a game.
- Soldier: 76: War isn't a game.
D.Va: Are you sure life isn't a game, Soldier: 76?
Soldier: 76 & Mei
Soldier is also a foil to Mei, who is even more optimistic and fun-loving than D.Va. In "Mei's Snowball Offensive", Soldier's serious military briefing and commentary is offset by a giggling Mei throwing snowballs. Also, a voice line has Soldier tell Mei that scientists don't belong on the front lines, and she just happily replies that it's good he's there to watch her back.
Soldier: 76 & Bastion
Soldier: 76 and Bastion effectively represent the two sides of the Omnic Crisis, and wield similar assault rifle esque weapons. But where Soldier: 76 is old and cynical, Bastion is "Young" and naive. While both are effective Jack of All Stats assault rifle wielding characters with self healing, Soldier: 76 leans towards Offense with a touch of Support in his higher mobility, burst damage Helix Rockets, and ability to heal allies, while Bastion leans towards Defense with a touch of Tank in his higher durability, emplaced Sentry configuration, and self healing.
Orisa & The rest of the cast
Orisa is stated by the developers to be a foil to most of the entire cast, who have decades' worth of backstory. By contrast, Orisa is only one month old (being a newly-constructed Omnic) and her story has barely begun.
McCree & Soldier: 76
McCree started out as a cynic and an outlaw before joining Overwatch, which lead him to become more optimistic and a hero in his own right. The exact opposite happened to Soldier: 76. Interestingly, they have a similar set of abilities involving a Boring, but Practical standard weapon, explosives, a movement ability, and auto-aim. Except McCree has no advanced tech backing up his marksmanship.
Symmetra & All of the other Supports
Ana, Lúcio, Mercy, and Zenyatta are all firmly on the side of good, while Symmetra is working for the villainous Vishkar Corporation. Though she is an Anti-Villain, she's not portrayed as a hero in the same way the others are. The gameplay reflects this, as all the other Supports directly heal their allies, while Symmetra has no means of healing her teammates. Instead, her abilities focus on defending an objective rather than restoring her teammates' health.
Zarya & D.Va
Both are prized athletes who joined the military to fight off an Omnic threat to their country, but Zarya gave up her career to fight, while Song was conscripted because of her fame. They both have pink play a notable part in their colour motifs, but while D.Va is almost entirely covered by it to invoke Pink Means Feminine. Both want to prevent what happened to countries like Australia and Germany from also happening in their countries. However, while Zarya projects her anger and hatred onto all Omnics, D.Va is focused only on fighting the ones essential to her mission. Also, Zarya completely gave up her hobby (weightlifting) to join the military while D.Va uses her conscription as part of hers (gaming and live-streaming).
Reaper & Widowmaker
Both are Talon operatives with a tragic past of being formerly good people before being broken and transformed, both theme themselves around and celebrate death, and both could be considered a "walking corpse" in their own way. However, there are key differences. As Gabriel Reyes, Reaper willingly betrayed Overwatch out of jealousy over Jack Morrison getting the title of Strike Commander over him, while was assigned to handle their Dirty Business as the leader of Blackwatch. As Amélie Lacroix, Widowmaker was forced to betray Overwatch as she was kidnapped by Talon and tortured, reconditioned, and reprogrammed into becoming a sleeper agent to kill her own husband, Gérard. Both ended up getting an Evil Makeover and a new name from the process, as Reyes was believed to have been killed in the explosion of the Swiss HQ, before being revived as wraith in what is implied to have been Mercy's involvement, while Amélie underwent extreme biological alterations to become a living weapon who doesn't feel feel emotions, thenceforth known as Reaper and Widowmaker, respectively. In their previous lives, Reaper was hardly a saint as Reyes even when he was on the good team, having committed many human rights violations, while Widowmaker was a civilian that was an accomplished ballet dancer. Reaper takes his time to gloat before he wins, often causing him to fail, while Widowmaker is a Consummate Professional who saves the gloating until after she wins.
In-game, both have abilities that give them verticality and involves steathily dispatching enemies. But Reaper favors getting upclose-and-personal with his shotguns, while Widowmaker hangs back and snipes her enemies from afar. Both can effective against tanks, but again, with different application, as Reaper takes them on in close quarters, while Widowmaker utilizes her high powered headshots at range. Reaper completely conceals himself in a black cloak and mask, while Widowmaker wears a revealing outfit that leaves nothing to imagination.
In-game, both have abilities that give them verticality and involves steathily dispatching enemies. But Reaper favors getting upclose-and-personal with his shotguns, while Widowmaker hangs back and snipes her enemies from afar. Both can effective against tanks, but again, with different application, as Reaper takes them on in close quarters, while Widowmaker utilizes her high powered headshots at range. Reaper completely conceals himself in a black cloak and mask, while Widowmaker wears a revealing outfit that leaves nothing to imagination.
Moira & Mercy
Moira and Mercy both are scientists interested in advancing mankind, Mercy through healing people and Moira through genetic engineering. They both have a single-minded dedication to these goals, but while Mercy is an advocate for peace who protested against Ana using her technology as a weapon, Moira is flagrantly unethical in the pursuit of knowledge and has a sadistic streak a mile wide. Moira is so unconcerned with morals that she's the only woman in the game's canon who wound up working for Talon without any inciting incident or tragic backstory. Mercy's angelic motif contrasts with Moira's dark, evil-sorceress-adjacent looks.
In-game, they're both supports who utilize healing energy to revitalize their comrades, but while Mercy is more focused on following people around, the crux of Moira's gameplay requires her to steal her opponent's life energy to sustain herself and others. Mercy's main means of movement, aside from running, is flying with her Valkyrie suit, meanwhile Moira warps around, using her Fade ability.
In-game, they're both supports who utilize healing energy to revitalize their comrades, but while Mercy is more focused on following people around, the crux of Moira's gameplay requires her to steal her opponent's life energy to sustain herself and others. Mercy's main means of movement, aside from running, is flying with her Valkyrie suit, meanwhile Moira warps around, using her Fade ability.
Soldier: 76 & Tracer
An aging, disillusioned man who helped to found Overwatch and an idealistic young lady who was one of its most promising cadets during the period of its decline; they could be considered to represent the organization's past and its future. Both of them got their starts for essentially the same reason (as idealistic youths who sought to make the world a better place), both of them were present to witness Overwatch's collapse, and both of them responded by continuing its work on their own initiative in their own ways. Having to bear the worst of the organization's fall on his shoulders eroded Jack Morrison's idealism and drove him to become a brutal Anti-Hero who seeks to bring those responsible to justice while also remaining bitterly skeptical of the organization's purpose. Tracer, meanwhile, has retained her hope and idealism through her misfortunes and continues to wholeheartedly believe in Overwatch's potential as a force for good, to the point where she answered to recall within seconds of receiving it. The parallel is most noticeable during their discussion in Uprising, in which Tracer makes a strong enough case for her reasons in joining to convince Jack — already noticeably weary from the controversy Overwatch is receiving in the midst of its decline — to move ahead with authorizing a strike, with Mercy outright stating later that he seems to have taken an interest in her. It's not hard to imagine that he sees a lot of his younger self in her, and that might have been a factor in his decision.
Tracer & Mei
Two of Overwatch's most steadfast female operatives who both leapt at the opportunity to rejoin once they were notified of the recall and who both maintain an upbeat demeanor and a hopeful, idealistic outlook on life and the future despite great personal misfortune. They even both adorn themselves with distinctive eyewear. But while Mei is no stranger to endangering herself for the sake of her duty, she is first and foremost a scientist who is more accustomed to studying and approaching the problems facing the world from an analytical, research-based position. Likewise, Tracer isn't unintelligentnote , but her credentials are as a pilot and a field agent, so she takes the hands-on approach by engaging her problems directly. Out in the field, Tracer's combat doctrine relies on being faster than her opponent, while Mei's relies on slowing hers down. Mei had been a respected member of Overwatch by the time she entered stasis, just to emerge years later through a malfunction to find that her colleagues had perished and the organization had collapsed in her absence. Meanwhile, Tracer joined up as a fresh-faced rookie just long enough to endure a disaster in the form of the Slipstream accident and witness the collapse firsthand. Both of them have faced hardships as a direct result of their joining Overwatch, yet both of them are also dedicated to its return and upholding its mission in their own ways.
Tracer & Sombra
They have more in common than either of them would likely ever be willing to admit. They both grew up in a city dealing with the aftershocks of the Omnic Crisis, they both play the role of a disorienting harasser on their team, they both are very maneuverable and equipped with the means to stay mobile and hard to catch in a fight (Sombra's teleporter is even all but stated outright to be a knockoff of Tracer's accelerator), and both of them like to engage in some playful mockery of their opponents — and even their allies on occasion — while in the field. Factor in the issues of Doomfist's breakout, the assassination in London, Talon's monitoring of Volskaya and the situation with LumeriCo's CEO, and they even both have the same problem with seeing their achievements diminished over time. Their core difference would be that Sombra has built her life around helping herself while Tracer has built hers on helping others. Sombra is a career thief and manipulator who grew up in the company of criminals and is willing to leverage or even endanger people into serving her ends through threats and blackmail. Tracer eventually grew up to join the military and has dedicated her life to upholding the law and serving the public good, to the point where she regularly prioritizes the needs of others above herself even in everyday situations. Sombra has fashioned herself into a spook who avoids direct confrontation in favor of fighting dirty with stealth and interference while remaining beneath the notice of the general public and her enemies, except to occasionally mock them at their own expense. You can’t not notice Tracer, and she has enough recognition among the public that even children can identify her upon sight. She also prefers the direct approach by confronting her problems and her opponents fairly and head-on, and her own playful antics come across more like friendly playground teasing designed to have fun and loosen up rather than to belittle anyone.
Tracer & Winston
Two best friends with the same goal who are about as different as night and day. Most obviously, Winston is a talking gorilla scientist and Tracer is a human female pilot. But more thoughtfully, Winston is calm, reserved and analytical while strong and methodical; Tracer is lively, outgoing and charismatic while employing her speed and reflexes. Both of them are altered in ways that set them apart from the norms of their species, but Winston was purposefully bred and augmented to be an enhanced animal while Tracer endured a malfunction that accidentally left her a disabled human. Outside of work, these circumstances restrict both of them from living a normal life. Winston is the only one of his kind on Earth, which makes it hard for him to connect with most people; Tracer is comparatively normal, but her condition heavily restricts her actions every day. Both of them are ardently loyal to Overwatch and both worked within their own capacities to continue its work following its collapse: Winston remained by its side in one of its old bases to keep the proverbial lights on in case it was ever needed again, while Tracer left to continue her work directly out in the field on her own.
Winston & Doomfist
They both fill the role of their respective teams' heaviest hitters, are both Genius Bruisers, they are both important philosophical figureheads for their respective sides, and they have both taken the lead in coordinating their actions in the present (Doomfist by resuming his seat among Talon's cabal of leaders and Winston by initiating the recall of all Overwatch agents) in order to pursue their own lofty goals for humanity. But where Doomfist is a vicious, unfeeling warmonger whose idea of "helping" humanity is culling the weak through carnage despite the potential risks to global stability and infrastructure, Winston is a literal animal who comes across as far more human through his compassion for the world and his desire to help mankind reach its full potential through peaceful cooperation and science. Both are augmented by gadgetry and wear clashing light-and-dark colors. Doomfist is from Africa (the cradle of mankind) and wears earthy colors, while Winston is from the moon (the farthest mankind has ever gone), and wears cosmic colors. In terms of demeanor, Doomfist seems to be a constant state of placid, focused fury and rarely deviates to show any other emotion, but Winston is a friendly, easygoing fellow who nevertheless can be prompted into bouts of extreme fury once he's been pushed too far.
Doomfist & Orisa
Doomfist is a human man who was raised in violence and has personally terrorized the city of Numbani on several occasions. Orisa is a female-identifying machine who was built by a child for the express purpose of defending Numbani in general and from him in particular. While Doomfist believes in a vicious philosophy that the weak restrain the strong and need to be either removed or strengthened through conflict, Orisa has a motherly personality that adheres to the principles of using her own strength to safeguard the innocent and protect those who cannot protect themselves. Doomfist's combat doctrine relies on relentless, close-range offense, but Orisa is a protector whose capabilities are geared toward shielding and strengthening her allies as she slowly advances from range with a barrage of heavy gunfire.
Orisa & Bastion
Both of them have their origins in the Omnic Crisis as mass-produced soldiers for the omnic forces. Bastion is just one of many of its model that was deployed en masse during the conflict, and Orisa is a custom OR-15 model improved upon the heavy OR-14 units originally fielded in war. Bastion awoke in nature among the company of wildlife as an amnesiac veteran who struggles with its memories of the conflict and with reconciling its built-in hostility toward humans, who in turn fear it as representative of the conflict. Orisa was "born" all new in the pristine, technological city of Numbani in the company of her human creator, and she now seeks to fulfill her purpose by protecting the city and its people, who admire and respect her. Both of them are thinking machines striving to find their place in a world where treatment of their kind varies wildly, but Bastion is burdened by its memories and tries to go it alone in the seclusion of the wild (at least until Torbjörn entered the picture) while Orisa is a clean slate who seeks to create her own memories as an active contributor to modern society.
Roadhog & Tracer
Yes, really. You can draw more parallels between their circumstances than you might initially expect. Both of them dedicated themselves to a cause they believed in, and both of them ultimately saw their work be rewarded with futility that left their respective homes worse off. Roadhog served in the Australian Army and saw his home get sold out to the omnics, and his last ditch assault on the omnium just made things worse in the Outback and helped foster the creation of the junkyard hellhole that is Junkertown. Likewise, Tracer joined Overwatch just in time to see it collapse from within, and her failure to prevent an assassination in her home led to tensions within escalating enough to trivialize her past work with safeguarding it. Roadhog's ordeals left him hardened to the world and drove him to abandon working in its defense in favor of a nihilistic life of crime which he views as a justified response, but Tracer was able to hold onto her idealism and refused to allow her hardships to tarnish her worldview, choosing instead to weather the storm and continue her work in spite of the odds.
Mercy & Sombra
Considering their lack of interaction, they have a surprising amount of parallels. Both of them are orphans as a result of the Omnic Crisis, both of them had to deal with growing up in a challenging world still reeling from its aftershocks and both of them play support roles for their teams in gameplay, which — if you're willing to be flexible — include capabilities for healing their teammates. However, Mercy grew up selfless, became a peace advocate and humanitarian worker who seeks only to heal others and outfits herself with bright gold and white; her role on a team is to assist her allies. Sombra, meanwhile, grew up a criminal, became a thief and manipulator who seeks only to benefit herself and skulks about in dark purple and black; her role on a team is to hamper her enemies.
Lúcio & D.Va
Most of the characters on the roster seem to have some degree of fame or infamy among the general public, but only Lúcio and D.Va could be considered celebrities. Both of them are known for their comparatively mundane careers (Lúcio as a musician and D.Va as a professional gamer) in addition to their heroics in service of their homes, and both of them fill support roles on their teams to aid their allies (Lúcio as a healer and D.Va as a tank with defensive capabilities). Lúcio personally took the initiative to lead a resistance effort against Vishkar's control over Rio’s favelas, and he uses his music to generate awareness for this and various other social issues, all with an unfailingly kind and humble demeanor that makes it clear he's more interested in the value of his work than his fame. D.Va, on the other hand, is a professional hobbyist who was drafted into a war effort to defend South Korea. And while she does appear to take her duties seriously, she is also demonstrably cocky, prone to trash talk, and more than willing to indulge in the glitz and glamor that come with her celebrity. The difference between them is probably best summed up by their ultimates: Lúcio gives his allies a shield with a boisterous cheer, while D.Va gives her enemies a big explosion with a cheeky taunt.
Hanzo & Genji
Disparate circumstances in the lives and upbringing of the Shimada brothers have left their lives intertwined to such a degree that they have come to both reflect and invert one another. Right from first impressions, Hanzo styles himself after a classical Samurai and fights from range with a bow while Genji is a cutting edge Cyber Ninja who fights with a sword, yet both of them still employ mobile tactics on the battlefield and are able to scale walls. Both of them also struggle to accept and make peace with who they have become, but in Genji's case it's for something that was inflicted upon him (his cybernetic body resulting from his injuries) while for Hanzo it’s for what he has done himself (the "killing" of his brother which directly led to Genji's current situation). Considering where their lives have led them, they could be seen to have inverted the dynamic they had in their youth. The prodigal son in Genji who once disregarded the family business for his own interests has since worked through his anger and bitterness to become a follower of the Shambali who strives to lead an ordered, disciplined life in harmony with those around him. The dutiful son in Hanzo forsook his place in the family in response to the shock of his actions and now skirts the fringes of society as a vagabond who holds himself to no duty but his own.
Moira & Winston
Both Moira and Winston were recruited into Overwatch when it was a global superpower. Their scientific genius empowered members of Overwatch to superhuman abilities; Winston's chronal accelerator saved Tracer from her ghost-like existence and gave her control of her time powers while Moira's genetic experiments either gave Reyes his wraith-like powers or enhanced them further. Both of them are genetically altered, Winston made smarter by human scientists and Moira performed experiments on herself. Winston worked for Overwatch proper while Moira was part of Blackwatch. While both of them want to use science for the betterment of mankind, Winston is a Science Hero with a strong moral code and Moira is a Mad Scientist who refuses to let anything hold back progress. Before a mission, Moira will ask Winston if he was ever frustrated by the restrictions Overwatch placed on their respective work. While Winston admits that he did get annoyed, he also believes that a measure of restraint is needed in a scientist.
Reaper & Tracer
The game's most visible hero and its most visible villain; despite not having as much personal animosity as they do with other characters, they could both be considered to offer a distorted reflection of the other. Both have been subjected to great hardship through their careers, but Reaper's gradually soured his worldview and prompted him to adopt harsher measures until he ultimately succumbed to them and became an aggressively vicious, spiteful man who actively enjoys hurting others; Tracer has persisted through even injuriously personal loss with her ideals and dedication intact and her sunny demeanor still holding. Both are afflicted with conditions that make them something other than fully human, but Reaper views his (not unjustifiably) as a curse to bear while Tracer considers hers a handicap to be overcome. Both are offense-oriented characters who dual-wield their weapons of choice, but Tracer is quick, agile, equipped with light rapid-firing pistols and geared toward quickly eliminating mobile and lightly-armored targets while Reaper is more plodding, equipped with heavy slow-firing shotguns and suited more for whittling down slower, durable opponents. In a broad, behavioral sense, both also clearly enjoy what they do for a living and are both prone to laughing while they carry it out. Compare their respective one-on-one scenes with Commander Morrison in Uprising and Retribution. They're both essentially saying the same thing: that protocol is impeding Overwatch from doing its job when lives are at stake, but Tracer is speaking out of concern for her fellow man and a desire to help while Reyes is speaking out of anger, frustration and a desire to exact reprisal.
Kiriko & Genji/Hanzo
All are Japanese ninjas who share overlap in training and occupy the same area in their country (Hanamanura a popular cosmopolitan area, Kanezaka a quiet neighbor getting by on tourism), but with greatly diverging intent. Genji and Hanzo have fraught relationships with their Shimada heritage, their criminal ways, and each other, while Kiriko proudly upholds Yamagami/Kamori traditions and remains affectionately tied to her close family. Genji and Hanzo have travelled the world in search of themselves, while Kiriko remains content in her hometown and protecting it from the local cabals that threaten it. In gameplay, all three of them are swift, greatly mobile, and deadly assassins with great offensive power, but while Genji and Hanzo directly specialize in killing things as Damage heroes, Kiriko adds utility and healing as a Support. Motif-wise, Genji and Hanzo call forth the power of their dragon spirits to take their enemies out, while Kiriko summons forth her own kitsune spirit to greatly empower herself and her team.
Organizations
Overwatch & Talon
Overwatch and Talon mirror each other on an almost uncanny level while being on opposite ends of the moral spectrum. To the extent where Talon could essentially be considered the anti-Overwatch. Overwatch was an international peacekeeping organization, Talon is an international terrorist organization. Both have access to much of the same cutting edge technology and superhero-esque abilites, but whereas Overwatch used to to create peace, Talon uses it to spread tyranny. Overwatch favored Blue Is Heroic, while Talon favors Red and Black and Evil All Over. Overwatch stood for a brighter future, Talon stands for creating chaos. Both organizations allow anyone of any race, nationality, gender, or creed into their ranks, with Overwatch being a Multinational Team while Talon is Equal-Opportunity Evil. One of Overwatch's top agents was Gérard Lacroix, who foiled the schemes of Talon at every turn. Talon's top assassin is none other than his wife Amélie, now known as Widowmaker, who was essential to Overwatch's initial downfall. Overwatch would resort to Recruiting the Criminal, giving former outlaws a chance at redemption, while Talon resorts to Brainwashed and Crazy, forcing innocent people into doing their bidding. Finally, the line is drawn to the closest possible level. Overwatch was reinstated by Winston, but illegally. Both organizations are now considered criminals by the law, despite being on opposites ends of morality.
Talon & Vishkar Corporation
Both organizations are considered villainous in Overwatch's narrative, but their ways are the polar opposite. Talon stands for Chaos, having a Color Motif of black and red, while Vishkar stands for Order, having a Color Motif of blue and gold. Both engage in horrible deeds, but while Talon makes no effort to hide the fact that they're evil, Vishkar deludes itself into thinking it's for the greater good.
